Display folder for articles of wearing apparel



y 1933- J. w, swEENEY 2,116,481

DISPLAY FOLDER FOR ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL Fi led May a, 1936 a Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 17511411 wee/me BY ATTORNE May 3, 1938. .J. w. swEENEY 2,116,481

I DISPLAY FOLDER FOR ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL Filed May 8, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Elm--E- Fla-En- 1 14 F 5 -4 W -45 fit I W ;r

' I-NVENTORI ATTORNE Patented May 3, 1938 UNITED STATES DISPLAY FOLDER FOR ARTICLES OF WEAR- lNG APPAREL John W. Sweeney, West Reading, Pa., assignor to The Narrow Fabric Company, West Reading, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 8, 1936, Serial No. 78,547

1 Claim.

This invention relates to devices for displaying hosiery on counters, in or on show-cases, or in the windows of retail merchants establishments, etc.

The present invention relates. particularly to a device for displaying only the upper portion of thetleg, including the top or Welt, of a stocking or sock.

The invention more especially relates to the displaying of that type of hosiery which terminates below the knee of the wearer and which, in womens hosiery, is generally known as knee lengt In women's knee length hosiery, and in some instances in mens high socks, the top or welt of the stocking is composed of or includes elastic, to function as a built-in garter for maintaining the hose in position on the leg of the wearer. In ladies hose particularly, the elastic top of the stocking is usually of an ornamental character and an object of the present invention is to display such hosiery in a manner to present the ornamental topto the best advantage.

Another object of the invention is to construct the display device in such a manner that the elastic top will function to maintain the upper portion of the stocking smoothly on a fiat display form in order that the texture of the hose below the elastic top may be closely observed by the prospective purchaser without necessitating the running of the hand into the top of the stocking, as is cornmonpractice.

Still another object of the invention is to construct the display device in such a manner that it may be folded into a flat compact package for shipping and storing purposes.

A further object of the invention is to construct the display device in such a manner that it may be manufactured at a very low cost.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, my invention resides in the novel structure as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates the device as it would appear on the counter or in the window or show-case of a merchants establishment;

Fig. 2 discloses. the device in a partially closed condition with the stocking therein;

Fig. 3 discloses the device in a completely closed condition enclosing the stocking completely;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 discloses the body portion of the device in a fully open flat condition without the stock ing or form; r

Fig. 6 discloses. the body portion of the device in a partially folded condition ready to receive the form with the hose top in position thereon;

and

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation taken substan-- tially along the line 'I'I, Fig. 1, and shows one manner of folding a complete stocking on the form to present only the upper part thereof for display.

As shown in Fig. 5, the body portion of the device is composed of a single strip of suitable material such, for example, as relatively stiff cardboard. The strip I is adapted to be folded on lines 2 and 3 to provide a base 4 when in use and which functions as a back section for the package when being shipped or stored.

The folding of the strip l on the line 2 also provides a front section 5 for the package during shipping and storing and which functions as a supporting brace for the stocking form during display.

The folding of the strip I on the line 3, see Fig. 6, provides a support for the base of the stocking form during display and lies intermediate the back l and front 5 of the, packageduring shipping and storing.

The form-retaining section B is provided with a transversely extending slit 1 which extends substantially the full width of and across. the strip I, with the exception of small connecting portions" 8, 8 between the ends 9, 9 of said slit and the longitudinal edges It and II of the strip I. The main portion 1 of the slit extends substantially parallel to the end edge I2 of the strip I. The opposite ends of the slit at the points 9, 9 are. disposed at right angles to the main portion I of the slit and extend for a short distance parallel to the edges Ill and II of the strip, as indicated. at I3, IS in Fig. 5.

At the folding line 2 along the edge IU of the strip I, said strip is notched inwardly from said edge It] as. indicated at I4. One face of the front or brace section 5 of the strip l is provided, along and parallel to the side edge Ill and along and parallel to the end edge I5 thereof, with shaded or other colored margins It and I! while the remaining area l8 of the face of the section 5 is decorated in a manner which, together with the margins I6 and II, depict a box as it would be viewed in perspective, the portion l8 being proly against the surface 201) of the form 20, the

vided with any suitable decorating or advertising matter such as would be found on the top of a box in which hosiery is normally shipped and sold, the notch I4 along the edge Ill aiding in the depicting of the perspective appearance of the box when the device is completely folded in its package form as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The device also includes a hosiery form 20 which may be composed of relatively stifi cardboard and which preferably is of a flesh color, the opposite longitudinal edges 2| and 22 of the form being shaped in accordance with the front and back portions respectively of the calf portion of the leg, and that part of the leg immedietely above the calf and below the knee.

The upper portion A of a stocking is adapted to be stretched smoothly over and around the form 20. This upper part of the stocking is normally provided with an ornamental elastic top B which, after passing around the outwardly bulging back calf portion 23 of the edge 22 of the form, contracts against the opposite edges of the narrower portion 24 of the form, immediately below the upper edge 25 thereof, said ornamental elastic top B being arranged substantially parallel to the upper edge 25 of the form 20.

In order to maintain the upper leg portion A and top B smoothly on the form, the part of the stocking top A which is to be displayed is snubbed around the lower edge 26 of the form 2!! and in cases where a complete stocking, including the ankle and foot, is to be displayed on the form said ankle and foot portions may be folded and tucked in between the portion a of the stocking and the back surface 20a of the form 20, with the portion A of the stocking lying smoothly on the outer surface 20b of the form 20, said portion a turning abruptly around the lower edge 26 of the form as illustrated at a in Fig. 7 and thereby holding the face portion a of the stocking smoothornamental elastic top B, by reason of its being contracted around the smaller narrower portion 24 of said form, preventing the stocking from sliding down on the form and causing the portion a of the stocking to wrinkle on the form.

In other instances, instead of placing a full stocking on the form 20, particularly in cases where complete devices are to be distributed gratis to the trade, only the upper portion A of a stocking is placed on the form, said portion merely consisting of ornamental top B and a short section of the upper portion A of the leg of a stocking and wherein the parts a and a of the stocking leg are stitched together for engagement with the lower edge 26 of the form, as illustrated at a in Fig. 4. Here again, a snubbing effect takes place. The seam a bearing against the lower edge 26 of the form keeps the stocking from working upwardly on the form while the ornamental top B, in binding around the narrower upper part 24 of the form, prevents the upper part A of the stocking from slipping down on the form and thus maintains the portion a of the stocking smoothly against the surface 201) of the form 20.

In either instance, when the form 20 with the stocking top AB thereon is assembled with the body portion of the display device, composed of the strip I, the lower portion of the form 20 is inserted through the slit 1 in the form-supporting portion 6 of said strip I, with the portion 6a which is disposed adjacent the folding line 3 lying at one side of the form 20 and the portion 6b disposed between the slit I and edge I2 lying at the opposite side of the form 20 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

The device is adapted to be folded along the folding line 3 until the section 6 and form 20 with the stocking top A--B thereon lie flatly on the section 4 of the strip I, whereupon the strip I is folded along the line 2 until the section 5 of the strip lies flatly on top of the section B and form 20, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, and wherein the stocking is completely enclosed and is in condition for shipping or storing.

When displaying the stocking top A-B the or device is opened up with the sections 5 and 6 disposed at converging angles with respect to the section 4, see Fig. 1, the section 4 functioning as the base, the section 6 functioning as the front form-holding part of the device and. from which the form 20 with the stocking top AB thereon projects as a continuation thereof, the edge 21 of the section 5 engaging the back portion a of the stocking top A-B on the form 20 directly below the lower edge 1) of the ornamental elastic top B and functioning as an easel brace to maintain the form with the stocking top thereon at an angle to the base 4.

While the invention has been disclosed as a means for displaying stocking tops, it will be understood that the device may be used for other purposes and that the structure can be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

A hosiery display device comprising a stocking form shaped to depict the upper calf and under knee portions of a human leg, an upper leg portion of a stocking stretched on said form and including an elastic garter top resiliently embracing said form adjacent the upper edge thereof, the upper leg portion of the stocking being turned about the lower edge of the form, a base, a formreceiving section extending upwardly from the base and from which said form with the upper portion of the stocking thereon projects as a continuation thereof, and a brace section extending upwardly from said base and engaging the stocking on the form above the upper edge of said form-receiving section.

JOHN W. SWEENEY. 

